Liberty Community Services

Mission

Liberty Community Services' mission is to work with our partners toward ending homelessness in Greater New Haven – making it rare, brief, and non-reoccurring. Liberty serves people in the Greater New Haven area that are experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, experiencing some type of housing instability, or receiving assistance through one of our programs – permanent supportive housing (congregate, scattered site), rapid rehousing (transitional supportive housing for up to 24 months), outreach & engagement, or short-term/one-time support related to homelessness prevention, rental start-up or shelter diversion. Our biggest dedication of services are focused on serving those who are experiencing chronic homelessness. Those we serve also are living with serious comorbidities, like HIV disease, mental illness and/or addiction – the better equipped our programs and staffing are – the better our outcomes at linking them to services, connecting to available housing resources, and supporting their success.

Needs Statement

Liberty is currently serving more people than at any point in its history. In 2025, we are on track to support over 2,000 people across our three core service areas: Supportive Housing, Outreach & Engagement, and Prevention & Diversion. This growth reflects the escalating needs within our community, driven by several interrelated national crises: • A severe shortage of affordable and deeply affordable housing • The ongoing opioid and overdose epidemic, with a significant portion of our clients experiencing substance use disorders • Insufficient funding and resources for human service providers, compounded by the rising costs associated with inflation Liberty’s programs are intentionally designed to be low threshold, ensuring accessibility for individuals facing complex challenges, including co-occurring mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and chronic health issues. Our approach is rooted in affirming language and inclusive values. We work hard to provide consistent, high-quality support. All are welcome – and all receive the very best ongoing support we can offer regardless of their choice to not engage with a particular option. We continue to focus on innovation, implementing evidence-based practices grounded in Housing First and Harm Reduction models. These approaches not only improve individual outcomes but also generate measurable public cost savings – based on current data/research: • Every $1 invested in Housing First yields an estimated $1.44 in cost savings • Studies report annual public savings ranging from $900 to $29,400 per person • Additional efficiencies are realized across healthcare, shelter, and criminal legal systems To sustain and expand our impact, Liberty has identified two top funding priorities: 1. Staffing Support Investment is needed to enhance staff training aligned with best practices and organizational values, and to maintain a competitive and comprehensive benefits package. 2. Property Support Liberty owns and operates four properties that provide housing, programming space, training facilities, and case management offices. While we manage basic maintenance, these aging and heavily utilized buildings require ongoing upgrades, renovations, and furniture replacement. Historically, we have not received sufficient operating support to meet these needs. Despite ongoing challenges, Liberty remains committed to innovation, collaboration, and leadership in addressing housing instability and homelessness. We continue to evolve in response to community needs—always centering the dignity and autonomy of those we serve.

Impact Statement

Our continuum of housing and support services includes a diversity of core programs and serves over 2,500 individuals and families annually in one of many housing programs providing permanent housing, rapid rehousing, rental startup and eviction prevention, workforce development, and outreach and engagement. These lines of service focus on three primary areas: housing, health, and basic needs. Liberty's work is about offering hope, promoting health and getting people home. Our efforts are implemented with the intention of offering sustainable housing opportunities, employment, and supports for people who have been experiencing homelessness so that we are a stronger community, where everyone has housing and can sustain it. Snapshot of some of our recent accomplishments: - Increasing the amount of supportive housing, rapid-rehousing, and other housing support services to over 400 units. - Our housing programs consistently show a +90% retention rate (18+ months of successful tenancy). - Our Next Step day time outreach and engagement program for people experiencing homelessness is serving over 500 people annually - Providing job, housing and other necessary service referrals to over 1,200 people through our NH Free Public Library In-Reach program, and our other outreach and engagement activities. - It is notable that throughout the more serious points of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty not only stayed “on-line” but we increased programs and services across our continuum. Liberty was truly “ready and able.” For over 35 years Liberty has been working to end homelessness in Greater New Haven by working to create a stronger community. As we have said, Liberty is a housing leader in the community, we prioritize working collaboratively across the housing continuum in Greater New Haven. Related to how we fit the landscape to serve those in our programs, here are some key points made by our staff, stakeholders, and consumers said about us in our recent Success Plan: “Liberty is with people all the way to the end, not just the good parts.” “The team is thoughtful about what’s working and what’s not working -- there’s no ego in these conversations. They will be creative, willing to try new things and take risk, and thoughtful about assessing if things work or not.” “If they only had one thing to give, their biggest contribution is supporting the continuous improvement of the system to end homelessness.” “Liberty has the approach to solve the issue. It’s not just their services but the leadership they bring to their peers/system. To quote one Liberty leader, ‘If you are not touching the most vulnerable then you haven’t fulfilled your obligations.’” “I would love to see more of Liberty on the street. They’ve got creativity that is not coming out of other organizations. Being strong and in your face is what outreach needs. Homeless services needs this bold approach.” “When other organizations run away they run toward.”

CEO statement

During these extraordinarily challenging times—marked by rising needs, the ongoing opioid crisis, and a national housing emergency—Liberty remains steadfast in our mission to support individuals experiencing homelessness. We are proud to be part of a community-wide response that is making a real difference. At the heart of our success is collaboration. But to truly meet the moment, we need more deeply affordable housing and sustainable financial resources to fully fund the essential services we provide every day. Liberty leads by example—advocating for innovative, effective services and systems that move us closer to ending homelessness. We are proud partners of the Greater New Haven Alliance to End Homelessness, a statewide leader advancing a bold advocacy agenda that reflects the needs of our community and the sector. Our top advocacy priorities remain: 1) Sustainable funding for our system, including: competitive wages and benefits for essential front-line staff, 2) Year-round support for shelter and extreme weather services, 3) Development of deeply affordable housing, 4) Elevating voices of lived experience in decision-making, and 5) Removing barriers to access, improving support, and using data more effectively We are committed to staying united—with our partners, our community, and those we serve—to drive meaningful, lasting change.

Board Chair Statement

A Legacy of Compassion and Impact, Liberty began in the early 1980s as a grassroots response to the AIDS epidemic—neighbors stepping up to support one another. While much has changed since then, our commitment to serving the most vulnerable in our community remains unwavering. For over 38 years, Liberty has worked to end homelessness in Greater New Haven, focusing on individuals facing complex health challenges such as mental illness, substance use disorders, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic conditions. Our mission is rooted in hope, health, and housing. We serve thousands annually through a continuum of care that emphasizes individualized support, harm reduction, and health promotion. It’s an honor to be part of the Liberty team—alongside dedicated staff, board members, volunteers, and community partners—working together to help our neighbors stabilize their health and lives. We are proud of our impact: • Over 90% of participants in our housing programs maintain stable housing for 18+ months. • Our Next Step outreach and engagement program supports more than 1,000 individuals experiencing homelessness each year. As one key stakeholder put it: “When other organizations run away, they run toward.”

Areas Served Narrative

CEO statement (optional)